


When I'm with you I turn all shades of pink

by Perfectly_deranged_fangirl



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora is a SIMP, Adora is a moron, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Catra flirts shamelessly, Catra is trying so hard Adora pls notice her :(, Childhood Friends, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Growing Up Together, Oblivious Adora (She-Ra), SUPER PAL TRIO RIGHTS BABEYYY, Slow Burn, glimbow are adorable and deserve the world, i just wanted some soft yearning catradora and this fic was my victim, my first fic pls be kind, no beta we die like men, tags and ratings might change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25577953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perfectly_deranged_fangirl/pseuds/Perfectly_deranged_fangirl
Summary: Adora sat there as their coupon number was called out and Catra went up to collect their food. She was honestly surprised that Catra hadn’t caught on yet, given her inherent ability to sniff out whatever Adora was hiding most times. Growing up together meant knowing each other like the back of their hands, reading the other’s mannerisms easily since forever. And now that they were going to be sharing a room on the daily, it dawned on Adora that hiding her crush from herveryperceptive best friend was going to be even more difficult- perhaps even impossible. This wasn’t like one of their sleepovers where she could scream her frustration into a pillow after Catra had left, this was sharing a small, cluttered room together 24/7.What was she thinking?A shudder ran up her spine as Catra caught her eye, a smile spreading across her face as she dodged people, trying to get back without spilling their trays.Oh god,whyhadn’t she thought of this before? This was going to be sweet, sweet torture.ORAdora has been falling head over heels for her childhood best friend Catra, pining hopelessly after her all the way to college, thinking she doesn't feel the same. Or does she?
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 83





	When I'm with you I turn all shades of pink

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my college au! Catradora became canon and caused so many emotions to spill out, my little gay heart had to write something to cope with it.  
> This is inspired by [this one post](https://rareddit.com/r/relationships/comments/d1sae3/i_19f_have_a_crush_on_my_roommate_20f_i_cant/) so buckle in for 6000 years of slow burn and hopeless pining, oblivious Adora who's simping so hard and Trying her Best Catra ft. glimbow. Plus fluff because I can't do angst. This is my first fic and I'm still trying to figure things out, so the characters, rating, and tags might change. Also I have no idea how international college dorms and dining halls work, this is just my interpretation. Pls let me know if there are any mistakes in tagging. 
> 
> Title from Crush by Tessa Violet, which I was listening to on loop while writing this.
> 
> Enjoy!

“….and that’s the last of it.” Adora slammed the last box down with a vengeance and groaned. Their on-campus dorm wasn’t big enough to begin with, and the various boxes littering the floor certainly did not help. She was sure that Catra would trip over at least three of them before the end of the day. Maybe they should start unpacking.

Catra’s stomach let out a loud rumble. “Dining hall?” she asked, sheepishly.

“Dining hall.” Adora smiled.

****

Adora knew Catra since they were six years old and she’d chased her around the neighborhood, fascinated by Catra’s Minnie mouse ears and trying to pet them. After a long, winded chase involving a confused scratched up Adora and a tearful, angry Catra, two pink plush bunnies, both of their mothers and double scoop ice creams, Catra finally relented and aggressively swore her and Adora as best friends.

Adora was only too happy to comply, and in no time they became inseparable. Their lives became so intertwined they basically grew up together. From pranking their parents, having sleepovers, learning how to ride bikes, being each other’s dates for prom, to giving the SATs and getting into college, they did everything side by side.

And now that that phase of their lives was over, Adora couldn’t wait to experience the next chapter in her life together with Catra. Even though Bright Moon college’s dorms were cramped, the bathrooms funky and the lunch way overpriced for broke students like them, it didn’t matter, because Adora had her best friend by her side. Even if said best friend was currently taking way too long to place their order right now.

“Uugh, Catra, just. Pick. One!” Adora groaned, very conscious of the long line behind them. “You _know_ both gravies are going to taste exactly the same! That’s the beauty of college dining halls!”

“Just one se--hey!” Catra glared at Adora with all the indignation she could muster as her menu was very rudely snatched from her. 

“She’ll get the prawns, please. And the chicken pizza for me, thank you,” Adora told the cashier, who gave a very amused “here’s your coupon” as Catra blinked at her.

“And if I don’t like it?” Catra challenged. 

Adora took back her card and the coupon with a thank you as they started to walk away. “Not a chance. You always like what I order for you. Just wait.”

Catra smirked and twisted the strand of hair that had come loose from Adora's dumb ponytail. She had just opened her mouth to retort when she was cut off by an over excited yell.

“Adora!” they turned, catching sight of a short Asian girl with a shock of bright purple hair and a boy in a crop top following closely.

“Glimmer!” Adora smiled. “Fancy running into you here. I thought you were going to that burger place.” She said.

“I wanted to, but Bow here--” she said snarkily, giving a pointed look to the boy beside her, “wanted to check out the dining hall instead.” 

Bow waved at them sheepishly. “Can’t blame a man for being excited. Anyways, you must be Adora! Glimmer’s told me a lot about you. And you’re…?” he trailed off, looking at Catra.

“Oh! Sorry. This is Catra! Catra, this is Glimmer, we met at the admin office today. We have Psychology together!”

“Cool!” Catra smiled, extending out her hand.

“Oooh, the infamous Catra!” Glimmer said, shaking her hand with enthusiasm. “I was waiting to meet this alleged girlfriend of Adora’s.”

“What?!” both Catra and Adora shrieked at the same time. “Glimmer, we’re just best friends!” Adora said, cheeks blooming pink and an edge of panic in her voice. 

“Well, from what Glimmer told me about her, you guys sure sound very close,” Bow smirked.

“That’s what happens when you grow up together!” Adora said indignantly. 

“Mhmm.” Glimmer crossed her arms over her chest gave a side look to where Catra still had her arm around Adora’s. “Sure, we’ll take your word for it.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Glimmer. Let’s go, Catra, see you tomorrow, guys. Bye!” Adora said hastily before literally hauling Catra away from the scene of crime.

“Bye guys!” Catra laughed while being yanked away. She turned to Adora. “Your friends seem nice,” she stuck her tongue out at her. 

“Shut up,” Adora retorted, cheeks still burning.

“Aww, you’re blushing!” Catra cooed, poking Adora’s cheek with a sharp nail as an empty table finally came into view. “Are you this embarrassed about me being your possible girlfriend?” she fake-pouted, batting her eyelashes. 

“No!” Adora dropped her hand as if it was on fire. “It’s just- I’m just--“

“Relax, I'm only teasing,” Catra said, sitting down from across Adora. “Besides, I know the real reason why you got so flustered.” 

“You... do?” Adora said, her eyes widening and heart beating loudly in her ears. 

“Yeah,” Catra said with a knowing smirk.

Adora sat stock still. She felt as if she was violently dunked under the frozen waters of hell and her life flashed before her eyes as Catra opened her mouth to answer.

“You have a crush on Glimmer.”

  


_Excuse_ me?

Adora’s world came to a screeching halt. “What?” she said out loud.

“Yeah, that’s why you were so embarrassed! You wanted her to know you were single!” she continued, a strange gleam in her eyes, leaning forward in her seat.

Adora couldn’t believe her ears. Obviously, she was relieved that Catra hadn’t yet deduced that Adora had a crush on her, but a crush on Glimmer?”

“No!” she said, her voice cracking and still breathing heavy, come down from the sudden adrenaline rush she’d been on. “I don’t like her. If anything, I'm pretty sure she and Bow have like, a thing for each other.” 

“Hmm,” Catra studied her as she leaned back, her intensity calming down. “There did seem like a weird sexual tension there,” she pondered.

Adora said nothing. Her head was still spinning.

Catra was her best friend, obviously. Everything had seemed normal until high school, when Catra had come back from her summer vacation in Cuba- tanned golden and having hit a growth spurt, her forever untamable curls barely held back by a ponytail. This new Catra with her white teeth contrasting sharply against her brown skin and sparkling golden-blue eyes made Adora’s heart speed up and her head spin from the smell of her perfume when she hugged her. She’d spent the entire day in a daze as she battled with confusing new feelings-- thinking about how Catra looked in her tank top and shorts, daydreaming about her mismatched eyes and touching her sun-kissed skin. 

Some serious googling and three quizzes later informed her that she liked girls, and declared that the thoughts she’d been having for her best friend weren’t exactly platonic.

See, the problem was that she absolutely sucked hiding things from Catra, and was just a terrible actress in general. Just one afternoon of Adora trying to act what she thought was “normal” was enough for Catra to suspect that something weird was going on, and Adora knew that Catra, being the stubborn person that she was, would eventually get it out of her. But she was adamant. She would take the secret of having a crush on Catra to the grave.

Finally, after a week of walking on eggshells around each other, a confrontation, and Catra’s tearful confession of how she thought Adora no longer wanted to be her friend, Adora broke. She had known that Catra would have accepted her but was still deathly scared about their dynamic changing. But when all that coming out did was get her a hug, a smack on the head, and a “That’s all? I was so worried, dummy,” Adora was simultaneously both massively relieved and a tiny bit frustrated. The amount of physical intimacy their in their friendship did not change one bit, and she was thankful for that. However, getting over a crush was proving to be quite difficult when said crush just so happened to be your best friend who was naturally touchy with you at every given opportunity, and you couldn’t pull away without arousing suspicion-- not that Adora ever wanted to.

And so here she was, bless her hopelessly gay heart, still pining after her childhood best friend, staring at her across the booth in a below average dining hall. Adora didn't even know if it even _was_ a crush anymore, given the extent of her feelings after four long years but she very conveniently shut down that thought in her head.

She sat there as their coupon number was called out and Catra went up to collect their food. She was honestly surprised that Catra hadn’t caught on yet, given her inherent ability to sniff out whatever Adora was hiding most times. Growing up together meant knowing each other like the back of their hands, reading the other’s mannerisms easily since forever. And now that they were going to be sharing a room on the daily, it dawned on Adora that hiding her crush from her _very_ perceptive best friend was going to be even more difficult- perhaps even impossible. This wasn’t like one of their sleepovers where she could scream her frustration into a pillow after Catra had left, this was sharing a small, cluttered room together 24/7. 

What was she thinking?

A shudder ran up her spine as Catra caught her eye, a smile spreading across her face as she dodged people, trying to get back without spilling their trays.

Oh god, _why_ hadn’t she thought of this before? This was going to be sweet, sweet torture.

****

“Adora?”

“Hmm?” 

“You have an early class tomorrow, right?”

Adora looked over from where she was splayed on the floor over to where her academic calendar lay crookedly on a pile of books, yet to be hung up.

The entire weekend before classes started had gone by in a blur- they had finally cleared away most of the boxes littering their dorm, and Glimmer had forced them outside to some second-hand furnishing stores to liven up their room. Adora was now a proud mother to four different house plants and a rouge cactus, courtesy Bow and Catra. She had printed out her syllabus, scoured the campus area for all the good take out places, color-coded her books, and marked her entire class schedule on her calendars. Adora was almost completely prepared to tackle her first day head-on, even if that meant meticulously and obsessively organizing every little detail. So which class in the world was Catra talking about?

Sensing her confusion, Catra looked up where Adora was still frowning at her calendar, devoid of the supposed early class.

“Here,” she sighed, walking over to the pile of books that had yet to be sorted and went through them, pulling out a folded sheet from among them. 

“Can’t even keep your schedule in a safe place. Honestly, Adora,” She teased, coming up behind her and shoving the schedule in her face, trailing one sharp nail to where ‘Monday, 8:00 am, Introduction to Developmental Psychology’ was printed in bold letters, “You’d be so lost without me.”

Adora shivered from how close Catra was, feeling the warmth on her back and her breath on her ear.

“Good thing you’re with me then,” she managed to murmur without her voice breaking. She did not dare look up into her eyes. 

A pause. “Yeah.” She saw Catra’s smile out of the corner of her eye as she sauntered away, and she let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. 

How was Catra so sure of her schedule when she herself had forgotten? How did she know where it was even when she didn’t?

“Anyways, the only reason I wanted to know was to ask you if I should get you chicken from that place you like so much since I’ll be home after you, around dinner time. That way we don’t have to go out again. We can have a nice night in after a hopefully not-disastrous but exhausting first day.” Catra continued, plopping down on her bed.

Adora turned away, the warmth spreading through her body forcing a smile to her face. She’d only mentioned in passing how she’d loved Netossa’s, but Catra remembered. She always did. 

Stop, don't be delusional, Adora chastised herself. Best friends know these things, after all. Don't think into it. She forced her feelings down with a gulp.

“Yeah, that’d be nice. Hopefully, I won’t be crying into it by—" 

Wait. If she had made one organizing mistake, did that mean that she had made more? Did she cover everything in her to-do list? What if she had missed something? Oh god, this is exactly what she had wanted to avoid. She dragged her hands down her face, exhausted. The whole point of having to-do lists was that she wouldn’t be riddled with anxiety and overthink everything the day just before classes. She could feel herself starting to get worked up. This was not the plan.

“Hey,” she felt Catra padding over and place a hand on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “Relax. I'm pretty sure this was just a rouge mistake! They happen sometimes,” she said softly. 

“But I had already double checked everything! How did I not notice this?” Adora gasped, wringing her hands desperately. 

“Well, you’ve been going at it the entire weekend. Sometimes, things can escape us even if they’re right in front of our faces, especially if you’re going so hard as you’ve been. Don’t worry about it, Princess.”

Adora slipped out of her grasp and started pacing.

“Hey,” Catra grabbed her. “If you want, I’ll help you re-check everything. But only—” she emphasized, watching Adora’s hopeful eyes, “if you come have a break with me.”

Adora deflated.

“C’mon, you deserve it,” Catra pleaded, tugging at her hands. “We can watch that weird disastrous baking show you like.” She pulled her towards her bed where her laptop was already set up and pushed her down. “Time to relax.”

Adora sat down begrudgingly. One episode won’t hurt, she reasoned with herself, especially seeing how Catra would help her later. Just one episode, and then she could go back to recheck if things were perfect.

“Fine.” 

Catra gave her a soft smile under the dim golden glow of the lamp, and only because her brain was working on nothing but fumes, she could admit to herself that Catra was the most beautiful girl Adora had ever seen.

Not even five minutes into the show had passed when Adora’s complete and utter exhaustion came creeping up on her. It didn’t take long for her to drift away to the monotone humming of the show and the soothing circles Catra was drawing on her hand. Slowly, she fell asleep in the warmth of Catra's embrace, the stress of the first day the last thing on her mind.

Fast asleep, she didn’t feel Catra hesitantly detangle herself from her and clear away the last of Adora’s clutter, rechecking her planner as she had promised before.

****

Adora sauntered into her class with exactly five minutes to spare, hair windswept and bag pack slung haphazardly over her shoulder. Excellent first impression, she thought, as she burst in through the door and looked around the nearly full class for a place to sit. She wasn’t even fully awake yet.

“Adora!” She startled and looked over-- Glimmer was frantically waving at her. “Over here!”

Right. Glimmer was in her class. 

She heaved a sigh of relief as she hurried over towards her before the professor entered the class.

“Thanks,” Adora grunted, squeezing herself in the space Glimmer had saved, regretting not buying coffee more and more as she settled down.

“Long night?” Glimmer smirked.

Adora thought back to that morning--how she had woken up in Catra’s bed, the sound of the shower and Catra’s singing almost lulling her back to sleep before she jolted up, panicked about how she’d left things from last night unfinished. She had checked the time and come close to spiraling before she caught sight of her calendar hung up neatly with the missing class added and the rest of her books organized. 

Then she spent five of her very precious forty minutes burrowing her head in Catra’s pillow, trying to muffle her screams and suppressing the wave of soft emotions threatening to swallow her. 

“Hello?” Glimmer waved a hand in front of her face, making Adora blink back into reality. “Are you okay?” she asked, looking considerably more concerned. 

“Yeah, yeah. Just zoned out a little. I kind of made Catra and I late, so we didn’t have time to stop for coffee.”

Glimmer waggled her eyebrows at her and opened her mouth to retort, but fortunately, the professor walked in before she could say anything. She spent the next hour trying to type up notes and suppressing the urge to fall asleep, all the while trying not to think about how Catra made her feel and her pretty smile.

****

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I am projecting my own character and feelings on Adora. No I don't take criticism
> 
> Thank you for reading! It really means a lot to me. Comments and Kudos are very much appreciated, pls give me some of that sweet sweet validation and lemme know if I did a good job coz I'm low-key nervous about posting this. If you wanna see more trash and scream with me about canon lesbians pls come talk to me at my [tumblr.](https://otpaholic.tumblr.com/)


End file.
